ALEKS Math Assessment

The ALEKS Math Assessment ensures students' readiness for certain math, statistics, and chemistry courses at Penn State. Since these courses are demanding, it is important for you to start with a firm foundation in your understanding.

Honest Work Matters

There is no benefit to inflating or deflating your abilities on the ALEKS math assessment.

ALEKS scores will not change your acceptance to Penn State.The ONLY way your ALEKS score is used is to help you choose courses that match your incoming knowledge level.

Incorrect placement can delay graduation and negatively affect your GPA. Dishonest work on this assessment causes many problems, including placement into a course that is not appropriate for your current level of knowledge.

What to expect

Plan to complete the assessment in a single one- to two-hour sitting. If you do not complete the assessment in one sitting, you will have 48 hours to complete it before the assessment is reset.

You will answer up to 30 questions. There are no multiple choice questions.

Before you take the assessment, ALEKS will present a short tutorial on how to enter answers, how to use the graphing utilities, and how to use the built-in calculator. TAKE YOUR TIME WITH THIS TUTORIAL.

ALEKS scores of 30 or higher reflect adequate preparation for college-level math. ALEKS scores cannot be interpreted in the same way as exam grades. If you score lower than 30, Penn State has coursework appropriate for you, or you can use ALEKS to review and retest.

Disability Accommodations

This is not a timed test. You may take as long as you need to answer the questions, as long as the assessment is completed within 48 hours of starting.

After your initial assessment is completed, you will be invited to schedule an NSO date.

Please note, the NSO reservation system opens in April. You won’t be able to make a reservation to attend NSO until then. An email will be sent to you when it’s ready.

If you choose to practice and take subsequent assessments, you should complete these before August 25, 2019 to enroll in your courses before the first day of classes.

All access to ALEKS expires on September 1, 2019.

Students who do not meet course prerequisites at the time of scheduling will not be permitted to enroll in the course.

What's Next

Within 1-2 business days of completing the ALEKS assessment, you will be sent an email inviting you to schedule your New Student Orientation (NSO). Please note, the NSO reservation system opens in April. You won’t be able to make a reservation to attend NSO until then. An email will be sent to you when it’s ready. At NSO, you will meet with an academic adviser to review your score and discuss course selection.

If you wish to review and take another assessment, you can start that at any point, as long as you are done by the start of classes.